Lovin Malta conducted a survey about abortion to get an idea of what the Maltese public thinks about the procedure and we gathered submissions from almost 3,000 people.

Respondents were individuals of all ages, however, the most common age range was those between 19 and 35 years old (52.7%). This was followed by 35 to 59-year-olds (39.4%), and then over 60s (6%) followed by under 18s (2%).

All age ranges had mixed beliefs however there were prevalent trends in each of these groups.

1. 19 to 35-year-olds

The beloved Gen Z to Millennial age range provided some expected results, with 82.2% of 19 to 35-year-olds subscribing to the pro-choice mentality, 15.4% agreeing that they were pro-life, and 2% admitting to being unsure.

Here’s what the pro-choice supporters argued.

“It’s a woman’s choice and not the government’s,” a man in his early 20s said.

“Criminalisation of abortion violates the fundamental human rights of women and girls. It causes women to resort to unsafe methods. And it disproportionately impacts poor and young women.,” another woman in her early 20s explained.

“There are many more things one should be in jail for and they are not,” said an unsure woman in her early 30s who agrees with decriminalisation.

On the other hand, there were individuals within this age group who gave completely opposite justifications for their beliefs.

“The taking of another’s life is wrong and should not be encouraged” said a respondent in their 20s.

“I think abortion shouldn’t be decriminalised for the same reason that murder shouldn’t” said another respondent in their late 20s.

“There is a child’s life at stake. Even if that child ‘is dying’, it is still alive. Ultimately we are all dying, just at different rates. We would never kill a born child because they are really sick,” said a pro-life woman in her early 30s.

2. 35 to 59-year-old respondents

As the age-range increased, so did the conservative replies, albeit slightly.

Within this 35 to 59-year-old age-range, 66.4% identified as pro-choice, 29.9% were pro-life, and 3.6% were unsure.

“Every woman should choose when is the best time to bring a child into the world – to achieve the best possible outcome for mother and child,” said a pro-choice woman in her 50s.

“Nobody should become a parent against their will and no child should be born to parents who didn’t want it” a man in his 40s promptly said.

“We have no choice, if abortion is legal and allowed in other European Countries and we form part of the EU, then we have to make it legal here in Malta. If we don’t, then we will be discriminating between those who can afford to go and do it abroad and those who cannot,” explained a pro-choice man in his 50s.

Conversely, this is what the pro-life respondents had to say.

“At this day and age people are educated about preventing unwanted pregnancies rather than resorting to get an abortion. Nobody has the right to end the life of another human being. And in the case of rape there is the morning after pill,” explained a woman in her 40s.

“Decriminalising abortion will make it easier for those who want to get one” said a man in his 40s.

“It would be best to educate more regarding sex than cover up a mistake with killing an innocent” said a woman in her 50s who is in favour of decriminalisation.

3. Respondents over 60

It was slightly unsurprising that the majority of respondents over 60-years-old were pro-life. However, the number of pro-choice people at this age was not a small one.

Pro-life supporters made up 59.75% of respondents, while pro-choice consisted of 36%, and unsure respondents rounded it off with 1.7% of responses.

Here’s what the pro-choice respondents over 60 thought about abortion.

“I have children and grandchildren and they have the rights over their own bodies. My opinion is informed by life experiences and the greatest disgust for the men in parliament and church who have the audacity to think they have the right to make laws about a woman’s body,” explained a woman in her 70s.

“Every woman has the right to choose her life and every human being has the right to choose how to live,” said a man in his 70s.

“Women have a fundamental right to bodily autonomy. In any event, criminalising abortion doesn’t stop abortion, it just limits safe abortions.” a woman in her 60s soundly expressed.

Like the other age-groups, this one had its own fair share of unsure respondents. However, most (if not all) agreed that abortion is not a crime.

“Why should a person be made a criminal for a decision that concerns one’s own body?” a man in 70s said.

Alternatively, there were those who subscribed to the pro-life mentality.

“Abortion shouldn’t be legalised because people always ask for more,” said a respondent in their 60s.

“If killing a baby after delivered is murder why is it not while it’s in the mum’s tummy?” said a woman in her 70s.

“Abortion is against our Christian beliefs and it also goes against our Constitution” explained a man in his 60s.

4. Respondents under 18

Respondents under 18 were scarce, however, the majority of them were pro-choice (70%) compared to those who support the pro-life mentality (25%), and those who are unsure about where they stand on the matter (1.7%).

That being said, considering the general link between youth and liberal ideas, the relatively high number of 25% came as a slight shock.

Nonetheless, this is how pro-choice supporters defended their views.

“Every woman deserves the right to have a choice on whether they want a child or not,” said a girl under 18 years old.

“Because legal or not, decriminalised or not abortions are still happening with many more health risks. It has been proven that fewer abortions happen if it is legal and so we need to move in the right direction of legalising abortion for the sake of society and women’s health. If one is against abortion, they can simply not do one but no one should have the power to decide for anyone else under any circumstances whatsoever,” said another girl under 18.

“Because abortion is healthcare and women should not be prosecuted for making decisions for their own bodies,” explained a boy under 18 years old.

On the other hand, this group’s pro-life sentiments were quite similar to the groups above.

“Abortion is murder” a girl profusely repeated throughout the survey.

“The baby has its rights. Abortion comes from the irresponsibility of certain people” a boy said.

“Abortion is the killing of innocent life. NO WAY!” another boy exclaimed.

“Abortion is the murder of unborn children. It should only be legalised for women who could die or have serious health complications if the baby is not aborted. It should never be legalised to mothers who do not want to keep the child, they can put it up for adoption,” said another boy.

BONUS: 81-year-old respondents

Our age section included an 81-years-old option and for this number, we only received two answers – one was pro-life, and the other was pro-choice.

The pro-choice 81-year-old had a simple and clear response.

“Couples should have their own choice.”

Meanwhile, the pro-life supporter provided a longer justification.

“The child has every right to live, be it in the womb or otherwise. Also the child’s father has a right to see that his child should not be aborted. Last but not least if the mother does not want to keep the child there are various mechanisms to look after her or him. However, it should be decriminalised because in some cases, it is not the fault of the mother.”

As mentioned above, there were clear trends among our respondents that maintained the idea that older people tend to be more conservative while the inverse is said for youths. Nevertheless, one cannot deny that some numbers were unexpected, especially when looking at the high amount of pro-choice and/or pro-decriminalisation respondents over 60.

While we understand that a sample size of 3,000 individuals does not speak for the country as a whole, it does provide Lovin Malta with some valuable insight into what the public thinks about abortion.

Age is not a monolith of thought, therefore, it’s important not to make assumptions and to listen and learn during controversial conversations with all types of people.

Do your opinions challenge the age stereotypes?